After hunting for the tree, which I shared about here, I had to decorate the tree.  The husband cuts down the tree, drags it to the truck, ties it in, drives it home, trims it up, gets it inside and in the stand (which always takes both of us…and then his work is done.

Yes, I decorate the entire tree.

Is that weird?

I know many treat tree decorating as a family event.  Why don’t we decorate the tree together?  I don’t know.  I’m picky?  Perhaps.  I’m fine doing the lights (9 strands this year).  And when it comes to the ornaments…well, the ornaments are like a walk down memory lane for me.  I think that’s why I like to decorate it myself.  There’s a lot of sentiment in some of those ornaments.  Actually, in the entire tree.

A great many people have fake trees.  They brag about the lack of fuss, the lack of muss.  I get it.  A real tree, particularly the size that we get, takes hours to “do” from beginning to end.  And yes, it’s messy.  But, I come from a family of “real tree” people.  It’s who we are.  So, to me, a real tree is tradition.  It’s connecting with those that I love.

Choosing a big tree…well, that comes from Dad.  The bigger the better. One year he actually had to tie the tree to the wall.  Couldn’t get that sucker to stand.  I thought we might have been there this year as we struggled with our tree.

Decorating the tree…well, that comes from Mom.  First, the lights. Colored, but not twinkling.  No twinkling allowed. Second, there is a method to the application of the ornaments.  I begin by putting all homemade or “special” store-bought ornaments on the tree.  Then I fill in with colored balls. Not plastic.  The breakable ones.

I have been making homemade ornaments for years, so I have a hefty collection of ornaments that I have made (this year I made wine cork angels and jewelry wire stars).  I also have ornaments that my Grandma and other assorted family and friends have made or bought for me.

When my brother and I moved away from home for real, Mom packaged up all of our personal ornaments in a shoe box and gave it to us as our Christmas tree “starter” kit.  So, I have ornaments that date back to my childhood.  A metal “Lucy” ornament (from Charlie Brown fame) with my name engraved on it.  Assorted plush Disney ornaments from McDonalds.

Memory lane.

Pulling those ornaments out gives me warm fuzzies.

There is also a specific placement of ornaments on the tree. The husband is going to read this and probably be like, “Really?  There’s an order?”  Of course there is.  It’s based largely on sentiment.  Those ornaments with special sentiment, or ones that I just really like, go in the front of the tree, mostly at eye level.  Want to know which ornaments are my favorites?Look on the front of my tree.

Those that may be a bit homely or are not favorites, but still have a place, go in the back.  Now that I’ve revealed my secret you can’t get all insulted insulted if you come over and find an ornament you’ve given me on the back of my tree.

Thus, I decorate the tree alone.  But far from lonely.